Community of Our Lady of Peace

The 54-Day Rosary Novena at Our Lady of Peace

Welcome!

The Church of Our Lady of Peace was shuttered on July 31, 2015. During the All-Night Vigil that began on the evening of July 30, friends, a priest and altar servers from the Church of the Holy Innocents celebrated and sang the Missa Salve Sancta Parens, in honor of our patron, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our friends told us that they believed that praying the 54-Day Miraculous Rosary Novena to Our Lady saved their church from being closed. After two final masses on our Good Friday, our beautiful church was closed, our pastor sent away. But our friend suggested we start the rosary novena the very next day. And so it began....

We are currently praying the 14th Miraculous Rosary Novena from July 5 - August 27, 2017.

Our First Series began on August 1, 2015, the day after the church was locked, and continued through to the arrival of Pope Francis in New York City. Our Second Series began on September 26 through November 18. Our Third Series was offered November 19, 2015 - January 11, 2016. Our Fourth Series was started January 12 and concluded on March 5, 2016. We prayed the Fifth Series from March 6 through April 28, 2016. The Sixth Series began on April 29 and concluded on June 21, the first day of summer. Our Seventh Series started on June 22 and ended on August 14, the Vigil of the Assumption. The Eighth series began on August 15 and concluded on October 7, 2016. Our Ninth 54-Day Novena began on October 8 and concluded on November 30, 2016. The Tenth Miraculous Rosary Novena followed, beginning on November 31, and continuing until January 23, 2017. The 11th Miraculous Rosary Novena began on January 24, one of the patronal feast days of Our Lady of Peace in other parts of the world, and ended on March 18.

We scheduled the 12th Miraculous Rosary Novena to begin March 19 and end on May 11, 2017. On March 21, we reached a milestone: 600 days of prayer. Then a miracle happened: The Church was reopened for the 98th Anniversary of the Dedication of Our Lady of Peace on May 7. After the anniversary Mass and the Anointing of the sick, 50 people participated at the rosary - the first held inside the church in 2 years!

The 13th Miraculous Rosary Novena began on May 12 and concluded on July 4, 2017. Our last day of thanksgiving coincided with Independence Day, a day for celebrating our freedom from tyranny. During this cycle, we reached the milestone of 700 days of prayer on June 30. Throughout the month of July 2017, our continuous days of prayer are synchronized with the calendar.

We continue to pray for the salvation of our parish, the sick, the departed, the persecuted, and the homeless. This is a continuous novena, so it is important that a group is praying every day during the 54 days and that the chain is unbroken. We know that life and weather intervene, so we invite the faithful to come whenever you can. If you cannot get to the steps on time, arrive as soon as possible. If you need to leave early, please do so silently. If you need to pray at home or from a distance of 3000 miles, dial-in whenever you can. On Christmas Eve 2015, we began to offer these prayers in teleconference, broadcast from the steps of the church. (See dial-in instructions below.) +

The order and online links to the components of the prayer service are as follows:

*Click on the link for the 54-Day Miraculous Rosary Novena to Our Lady; then, continue to scroll down until you see the NEW VERSION charts. The difference between the new and the old versions is that the new version includes the Luminous Mysteries. There are 2 charts - one for days of Petition; one for days of Thanksgiving. There are always 27 days of Petition, followed by 27 days of Thanksgiving. For additional information, including daily readings, please click on our rosary event pinned to the top of the Friends of OLP Facebook page, and scroll down to see updates.

Our Continuing Schedule...

14th Miraculous Rosary Novena

27 Days of Prayer in Petition to Our Lady

Joyful July 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29

Luminous July 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30

Sorrowful July 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31 (Last day of Petition)

Glorious July 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28

27 Days of Prayer in Thanksgiving to Our Lady

Joyful August 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25

Luminous August 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26

Sorrowful August 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27 (Last day of Thanksgiving)

Glorious August 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 24

IN CASE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER check here if there will be an alternate location for the rosary, or simply DIAL-IN.

+ DIAL - IN 54-DAY ROSARY NOVENA TELECONFERENCE INSTRUCTIONS

This service is provided via Free Conference Call ; however, if you don't have a national plan or unlimited phone calls with your mobile service, this could be a toll call. Please check with your telephone provider. Prayers typically last 35-40 minutes.

(1) Dial: 1-641-715-3580

(2) Enter the access code, followed by the # sign: 253638#

(3) Dial five to 10 minutes early. We start at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

(4) Follow the prompt to announce your name.

(5) Respect the privacy of others. Recording or reproduction of the prayer service is forbidden. Names of individuals and prayer requests should be treated as if this is "Rosary Anonymous."

(6) If you are a newcomer, dialing-in for the first time, please follow these additional suggestions, to make our time together more enjoyable:

If you call in after the start of our prayers, please wait to announce yourself until the last Prayer to Mary, Queen of Peace is concluded, when the rosary leader will ask who is attending via teleconference.

Because we are praying outside a shuttered church, you may hear street noises – honking cars and sirens. Those of us here in New York are used to these distractions and have learned to pray through them.

We want those who are joining us by teleconference to feel as much a part of our experience as possible so you will hear us praying. If you are praying with us by telephone, we ask that you place your phone on MUTE to eliminate any background noise from where you are.

+ For Those Praying at the Steps of the Church:

We welcome and thank you for your donations of LED battery operated candles in the following sizes and colors: (3x4, 3x6, or 3x9 inches in WHITE or IVORY) or votive candles. PLEASE DO NOT LIGHT WAX CANDLES. Since the church has been leased, we want to keep the door and steps clear.

Thank you for your prayers and petitions to reopen the church and save the Roman Catholic community of Our Lady of Peace.

A Prayer Journal in Photographs(Top of Page - April 13, 2016: 97th Anniversary of Dedication of Our Lady of Peace. All rosary leaders took a decade of the Glorious Mysteries.)

August 2015

Below: Two weeks after the closure, dozens of parishioners line the street and gather on both sides of the steps for the 54-Day Rosary on the Vigil of the Assumption, August 14, 2015. A candle-lighting session followed. Parishioners had requested that the church be opened for the Feast of the Assumption as a "special occasion" marking the feast of the patron, the Blessed Virgin Mary, but were turned down by the Archdiocese.

September 2015

Below, Mary T. Greason lights a candle after the rosary on September 1, 2015. Mary, who attended the outdoor rosary throughout the autumn months with her husband Edward, passed away on January 9, 2016. The doors were open for her funeral at Our Lady of Peace on January 13, 2016. It was one of only two occasions since the church was closed that a Mass was held inside. RIP.

October 2015

Below, three rosary participants light candles on the steps on October 21, 2015. The perpetual light vigil began on the last night the church was open.

November 2015

Rosary leader Gloria Casugbo lights the first candle in the Advent Wreath, November 29, 2015.

December 2015

Below the rosary convenes on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 2015 after a Christmas Open House at the Isle of Capri Restaurant.

January 2016

Below, a small group of five gathered in person, with four on the phone, January 22, the evening Blizzard Jonas started. Throughout the storm and after, prayers were recited at the steps. Photo courtesy of Our Town.

February 2016

Below, a small group gathers on February 5, 2016 for the rosary. Others join on the telephone conference. It is a reminder that Jesus said, "Whenever 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them."

March 2016

Below, candles are lit after the Luminous Mysteries on March 20, 2016.

April 2016

Below: After the Angelus, the Glorious Mysteries are prayed at the 97th Anniversary of the Dedication of Our Lady of Peace on April 13, 2016. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen." The group petitioned the Archdiocese to open the church for the solemnity of the anniversary of the dedication, but were denied again.

May 2016

Beads of rain, beads of prayer: Rain does not stop our rosarians from reciting the Glorious Mysteries on May 18, 2016. Many waters cannot quench love...

June 2016

The concluding prayer after the rosary and the Litany of Loreto is always the "Prayer to Mary, Queen of Peace." Copies of the prayer are distributed to all those in attendance. Joyful Mysteries at the steps of Our Lady of Peace, June 15, 2016.

July 30, 2016On the anniversary of the closing of Our Lady of Peace, an All-Night Vigil was held under the canopy in the rain. The vigil lasted for 18 hours, beginning with the usual evening prayers, including the Glorious Mysteries, an anointing by a deacon, followed by the illumination of the steps and the 2000 Hail Mary Devotion. On Sunday morning, the Angelus and Daily Readings, and the Stations of the Cross with Mary, as well as the Online Petitions to Save Our Lady of Peace were read. The prayers concluded with the noon Angelus.

August 17, 2016Concluding prayers on beautiful, mid-summer evening at the steps outside the Rectory of Our Lady of Peace, two days after the beginning of the eighth novena series. The faithful still wear their blue and white "Save Our Lady of Peace" bracelets.

September 11, 2016"Still all my song shall be, Nearer My God to Thee. Nearer My God to Thee, Nearer to Thee." Our service of remembrance on the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11 included the singing of hymns and readings in addition to the usual evening prayers and rosary.

October 21, 2016The Angelus begins it. We move from light into darkness. Our Lady sustains us. We are old friends, sharing the last prayer of the evening. Almost 450 days and counting, our rosary has become a Super Novena. Prayerful petition or thanksgiving, this has become a spiritual journey for regular attendees, a refuge for the sick, and an oasis of support for those who miss the fellowship of the parish.

November 2016As the weather varies, winter coats, hats and even blankets make their appearance. Approaching the end of November, we look forward to Advent and a season of hope during our days of Thanksgiving. November 30 concludes the Ninth 54-Day Rosary Novena and 487 days of continued prayer at the steps of our beloved church, Our Lady of Peace. It is also the date that the review period established by the Congregation for the Clergy will close. We pray for the clergy who will make a decision about our recourse.

December 2016Our Advent evenings are lit by candles, hurricane lanterns, streetlights and flashlights in the darkness. We think about the special endurance and encouragement that has enabled us to continue these prayers outside for almost 500 days. We will P.U.S.H....Pray Until Something Happens... as we keep our hearts focused on peace and harmony.

January 2017In mid-January, we received the news that the Congregation for the Clergy has rejected our recourse, issuing a decree that gives us very spare rights to celebrate Mass in our beloved church. Parishioners will now appeal to the highest court at the Vatican. The Tenth Rosary series ended on January 23, on a cold and windy night in pouring rain. Three brave souls stood under umbrellas at the steps, while two distant followers joined by telephone to pray. A gust of wind blew the pages of the Litany of Loreto from the leader's notebook, but the prayers continued. We have requested that the church be opened for us for private prayer and worship in inclement weather. Our Lady of Peace, pray for us!

February 2017Unseasonable mild days bring signs of life and signs of early spring to the steps. Our rosarians keep the steps tidy with fresh flowers and candles daily.

March 2017Rosary prayers are heaven bound from the vantage point of faithful parishioners. The church of Our Lady of Peace is showcased by a glorious expanse of blue sky and clouds. "Spring ahead" brings more light for the Luminous Mysteries, more hope to the sorrowful. Although the doors have been opened for the Coptic Orthodox Christians, who are leasing the church since the beginning of the March, the Roman Catholics continue to pray outside. A milestone, the 600th day of continuous prayer, was celebrated on March 21.

April 2017Sometimes we share the smallest details in community with one another. Usually it is news about a birthday, an illness, or a new baby in the family. Here two of our rosary "regulars" compare their beads after the Joyful Mysteries on Divine Mercy Sunday. Joy is in the air as we anticipate celebrating our 98th Anniversary of the dedication of the church.

May 2017The Sorrowful Mysteries conclude the 98th Anniversary Celebration held on May 7 inside Our Lady of Peace. After 646 days, the Rosary Novena was offered for the first time inside the church at the conclusion of the Mass and Anointing of the Sick. Our rosary leaders all participating in leading each decade and mystery. Fifty people participated in the 54-Day Rosary, Litany of Loreto and the Prayer to Mary, Queen of Peace. It was Good Shepherd Sunday, a day of gratitude and thanksgiving. The sheep have entered through the gate! Alleluia!

June 2017A joyful mood is shared as our friend Anthony celebrates his 80th birthday after the evening's rosary with refreshments. Although not all the remained for this photo afterward, our prayers and community continue. "St. Anthony, please come around! Our parish was lost, but now it's found!"